Sinclair is the 437th former NWL player to make his MLB debut
Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League is proud to announce that former Wisconsin Rapids Rafter Jack Sinclair has made his Major League Baseball debut with the Washington Nationals. The right-handed pitcher reached the majors on September 4, 2026.
Sinclair, the Coral Springs, Florida native and University of Central Florida product pitched for the Rafters in 2019 and was selected by Washington in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
In the Northwoods League with the Rafters, Sinclair served as a reliable starter. He posted a 3-3 record with a 2.89 ERA over 12 starts, logging 56 innings while striking out 40 batters.
Sinclair has built a strong minor league résumé in the Nationals system. In 2022 he combined for a 6-2 record and an outstanding 1.70 ERA across A and High-A, with 61 strikeouts in 53 innings. He followed that with a standout 2024 season at Double-A Harrisburg, going 5-3 with a 2.20 ERA, 65 strikeouts, and eight saves in 57.1 innings over 43 appearances. In 2026 with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, Sinclair went 6-2 with a 4.03 ERA in 52 appearances (one start), recording 74 strikeouts over 60.1 innings. Across his minor league career, he has posted a 3.61 ERA with more than 300 innings pitched and over 330 strikeouts.
A 6-foot-4 right-hander, Sinclair was called up from Triple-A Rochester after a solid season and made an impressive first appearance. In his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 4, Sinclair pitched a perfect inning of relief, striking out one batter without allowing a hit or walk. Through his first three big-league outings, he has maintained a 0.00 ERA with three strikeouts in three innings.
###
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its 33rd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 435 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM). League games are viewable live on FloSports.tv.